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Cde Richard Moyo

Nduduzo Tshuma, Political Editor
ZANU-PF Matabeleland North province in conjunction with the Ministry of Lands and Rural Settlement has made a resolution to chuck out illegal settlers who are abusing the party’s name to invade properties in the province.

Party provincial chairperson, Cde Richard Moyo, said a recent Provincial Coordinating Committee meeting resolved that all those who settled themselves should be chucked out from the respective pieces of land.

“The meeting resolved that the district land officers identify all the illegal settlers and the issue is dealt with accordingly. There are those who after the land reform programme illegally settled themselves on land allocated to others and we want to correct that,” said Cde Moyo.

“We also have the issue of Tote farm where there was conflict between settlers and the police. We have resolved that the police live harmoniously with the more than 50 households that were settled on that farm.”

In Umguza district, Cde Moyo said, there were illegal settlers at Heaney Junction where more than 100 households mostly from Matabeleland South were settled outside the law.

“We also have another headman who was supposed to preside over 30 plus households but we understand that there are more than 200 households there. We have asked the district administrator to write those people and notify them that they must move,” he said.

“We will also enlist the services of the police to make sure that these illegal settlers are removed because the Government is the only authority with the mandate of distributing land.”

Cde Moyo said there were beneficiaries of the land reform who still had no documentation.

“There are those who were settled by the comrades in 2000 and 2005 during the fast track land reform programme. As for those we have asked the district and provincial land committee to look into their issues so that they get redress and proper documentation,” he said.

Cde Moyo warned people to desist from abusing the Zanu-PF name in the commission of crimes including illegal distribution of land.

“Those people are criminals and we want to disassociate the party from such elements. The District and Provincial Land Committees are the ones that handle land issues and not individuals who want to take away people’s monies and settle them illegally,” he said.

Meanwhile, the province will hold a workshop facilitated by the Herbert Chitepo School of Ideology today.

“It is meant for our leadership, Central Committee members, Members of Parliament, heads of departments in the province and district chairpersons to teach them about the country’s history. We want them to have knowledge of the party’s ideology so that in their various positions of leadership, they impart the party’s principles to the people,” said Cde Moyo.